TY - JOUR
T1 - The build-up of the colour-magnitude relation in galaxy clusters since z ∼ 0.8
AU - De Lucia, Gabriella
AU - Poggianti, Bianca M.
AU - Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso
AU - White, Simon D.M.
AU - Zaritsky, Dennis
AU - Clowe, Douglas
AU - Halliday, Claire
AU - Jablonka, Pascale
AU - Von Der Linden, Anja
AU - Milvang-Jensen, Bo
AU - Pelló, Roser
AU - Rudnick, Gregory
AU - Saglia, Roberto P.
AU - Simard, Luc
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - Using galaxy clusters from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey, we study how the distribution of galaxies along the colour-magnitude relation has evolved since z ∼ 0.8. While red-sequence galaxies in all these clusters are well described by an old, passively evolving population, we confirm our previous finding of a significant evolution in their luminosity distribution as a function of redshift. When compared to galaxy clusters in the local Universe, the high-redshift EDisCS clusters exhibit a significant deficit of faint red galaxies. Combining clusters in three different redshift bins, and defining as 'faint' all galaxies in the range 0.4 ≳ L/L≳ 0.1, we find a clear decrease in the luminous-to-faint ratio of red galaxies from z ∼ 0.8 to ∼0.4. The amount of such a decrease appears to be in qualitative agreement with predictions of a model where the blue bright galaxies that populate the colour-magnitude diagram of high-redshift clusters, have their star formation suppressed by the hostile cluster environment. Although model results need to be interpreted with caution, our findings clearly indicate that the red-sequence population of high-redshift clusters does not contain all progenitors of nearby red-sequence cluster galaxies. A significant fraction of these must have moved on to the red sequence below z ∼ 0.8.
AB - Using galaxy clusters from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey, we study how the distribution of galaxies along the colour-magnitude relation has evolved since z ∼ 0.8. While red-sequence galaxies in all these clusters are well described by an old, passively evolving population, we confirm our previous finding of a significant evolution in their luminosity distribution as a function of redshift. When compared to galaxy clusters in the local Universe, the high-redshift EDisCS clusters exhibit a significant deficit of faint red galaxies. Combining clusters in three different redshift bins, and defining as 'faint' all galaxies in the range 0.4 ≳ L/L≳ 0.1, we find a clear decrease in the luminous-to-faint ratio of red galaxies from z ∼ 0.8 to ∼0.4. The amount of such a decrease appears to be in qualitative agreement with predictions of a model where the blue bright galaxies that populate the colour-magnitude diagram of high-redshift clusters, have their star formation suppressed by the hostile cluster environment. Although model results need to be interpreted with caution, our findings clearly indicate that the red-sequence population of high-redshift clusters does not contain all progenitors of nearby red-sequence cluster galaxies. A significant fraction of these must have moved on to the red sequence below z ∼ 0.8.
KW - Galaxies: clusters: general
KW - Galaxies: evolution
KW - Galaxies: fundamental parameters
KW - Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11199.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11199.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33846166736
VL - 374
SP - 809
EP - 822
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
SN - 0035-8711
IS - 3
ER -